Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Look closely at her face. There is determination, pride, and a bit of joy.

That was my mom. She was always taking bold steps; raising us girls on her own, making our home the best she could, fighting cancer with every bit of her being.

She was a source of inspiration for everyone around her right down to her great grandchildren. She will continue to be an inspiration in the stories we pass down about her.

There's the story about when she was about five years old they were visiting my great grandparents. They were going to have roast beef but Mom wanted chicken. So out she went to the chicken yard, caught and killed a chicken and brought it in to the kitchen for dinner.

In 1967 she decided to leave Kansas and come to Arizona to try and make a new start. Just her and me,

the dog, a cat and a U-Haul trailer full of everything we owned. I didn't want to leave my friends and school in Kansas so I know I wasn't easy to deal with on that trip.

This has me thinking about all the first steps we take in our life.
There are the obvious ones like baby Viola, first jobs, college, first apartment, first love.

What about all the little steps you take every day?

Stepping out of your comfort zone to help somebody else, trying some new art technique or showing your work for the first time, submitting an essay or short story to a magazine, joining a book discussion group, trying a new food.

What steps have you taken recently? Were they baby steps or big steps?
It really doesn't matter, just that you took them.

8 comments:

I think this is such a precious photo! my goodness it is definitely one to treasure! thanks for sharing this!

umm....it was a huge step for me to even begin blogging and opening an etsy shop...but with a little encouragement and a lot of pondering and wondering....here I am doing it! I know that it's not really a big deal I suppose..but I actually had to overcome a lot of anxiety over the whole committing thing!

You are so lucky to have all of these fabulous photos of your family...we have none and both of my parents came from large families and no one has any photos of them growing up. Does the 21-day purge count as "baby steps"...lol...cause that REALLY pushed me out of my comfort zone. Physically and mentally ;)

I totally appreciate your stories and was just reading through a few, including the chamber pot story. Your mother's determination shows in the photo and will truly live in your stories. They are simply wonderful.

And I'm so glad you like my Cowtown Museum photos. Kansas hasn't changed a whole bunch since you left (grin).

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About Me

A few things I enjoy:
Photography, mixed media art, researching history, writing, history of the Old West, genealogy, being with friends, Tombstone history, discovering myself, reading, and teaching what I have learned about these things.
Things I love:
My family, my home, and my dog.